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{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
==Government==
{{About|the politics of the Republic of Korea|other uses|Politics of Korea (disambiguation)|the article about the politics of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea|Politics of North Korea}}
[[South Korea]] is a [[republic]] with powers shared between the [[President of South Korea]] and the legislature called the [[National Assembly]]. The [[president]] is chief of state and is elected for a term of 5 years. He appoints a Prime Minister who runs the government as directed by him. The 299 members of the unicameral National Assembly are elected to 4-year terms. South Korea's judicial system comprises a Supreme Court, appellate courts, and a Constitutional Court. The country has nine provinces and six administratively separate cities--Seoul, Pusan, Inchon, Taegu, Kwangju, and Taejon.
{{More citations needed|date=April 2014}}
==Country name==

* '''conventional long form''': Republic of Korea
{{Infobox political system
* '''conventional short form''': South Korea
| name = Politics of the Republic of Korea
* '''local long form''': Daehan Minguk ([[Hangul]]: &#45824;&#54620; &#48124;&#44397;; [[Hanja]]: &#22823;&#38867;&#27665;&#22283;)
| native_name = {{Native name|ko|대한민국의 정치}}
* '''local short form''': Hanguk ([[Hangul]]: &#54620;&#44397;; [[Hanja]]: &#38867;&#22283;)
| image = Emblem of South Korea.svg
''note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han-guk" to refer to their country''
| image_size =
* '''abbreviation''': ROK
| caption = [[Emblem of South Korea|National emblem of the Republic of Korea]]
==Data code==
| type = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Presidential system|presidential]]<br />constitutional republic
KS
| constitution = [[Constitution of South Korea|Constitution of the Republic of Korea]]
==Government type==
| legislature = [[National Assembly (South Korea)|National Assembly]]
[[Republic]]
| legislature_type = [[Unicameralism|Unicameral]]
==Capital==
| legislature_place = [[Korea National Assembly Proceeding Hall|National Assembly Building]]
[[Seoul]]
| legislature_speaker = [[Woo Won-shik]]
==Administrative divisions==
| legislature_speaker_title = [[Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea|Speaker of the National Assembly]]
''(Main article: [[Administrative divisions of South Korea]]. For historical information, see [[Provinces of Korea]] and [[Special cities of Korea]])''
| title_hosag = [[President of South Korea|President]]
| current_hosag = [[Yoon Suk Yeol]]
| appointer_hosag = [[Presidential elections in South Korea|Direct popular vote]]
| cabinet = [[State Council of South Korea|State Council]]
| current_cabinet =
| cabinet_leader = [[President of South Korea|President]]
| cabinet_deputyleader = [[Prime Minister of South Korea|Prime Minister]]
| cabinet_appointer = [[President of South Korea|President]]
| cabinet_hq = [[Yongsan District|Yongsan]], [[Seoul]]
| cabinet_ministries = 18
| judiciary = [[Judiciary of South Korea]]
| judiciary_head =
| judiciary_head_title =
| courts =
| court = [[Supreme Court of Korea|Supreme Court]]
| chief_judge = [[Cho Hee-dae]]
| court_seat =
| court1 = [[Constitutional Court of Korea|Constitutional Court]]
| chief_judge1 = [[Lee Jong-seok (judge)|Lee Jongseok]]
| court_seat1 =
}}
[[File:ROK election system and separation of powers (en).svg|thumb|295px|[[Separation of powers]] and the [[Elections in South Korea|election system]] of South Korea]]
{{Politics of South Korea}}

The '''politics of South Korea''' take place in the framework of a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]], whereby the [[President of South Korea|president]] is the [[head of state]], and of a [[multi-party system]]. To ensure a separation of powers, the [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]] Government is made up of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The government exercises [[Executive (government)|executive power]] and [[Legislature|legislative power]] is vested in both the [[government]] and the [[National Assembly (South Korea)|National Assembly]]. The [[judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises a [[Supreme Court of Korea|Supreme Court]], appellate courts, and a [[Constitutional Court of Korea|Constitutional Court]].

Since 1948, the [[Constitution of South Korea|constitution]] has undergone five major revisions, each signifying a new republic. The current Sixth Republic began with the last major constitutional revision that took effect in 1988. From its founding until the [[June Democratic Struggle]], the South Korean political system operated under a [[Military junta|military]] [[authoritarianism|authoritarian]] regime, with the freedom of assembly, association, expression, press and religion as well as civil society activism being tightly restricted. During that period, there were no freely elected national leaders, political opposition is suppressed, dissent was not permitted and civil rights were curtailed.

{{Democracy Index rating|South Korea|full democracy|2022}} According to the [[V-Dem Democracy indices]] in 2023, South Korea was the third most electoral [[democracy in Asia|democratic country in Asia]].<ref name="vdem_dataset">{{cite web |last=V-Dem Institute |date=2023 |title=The V-Dem Dataset |url=https://www.v-dem.net/data/the-v-dem-dataset/ |access-date=14 October 2023 |archive-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208183458/https://www.v-dem.net/data/the-v-dem-dataset/ |url-status=live }}</ref> South Korea is often cited as a model of democracy due to its relatively peaceful and internally-driven democratic transition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How South Korea's Authoritarian Past Shapes Its Democracy |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/how-south-koreas-authoritarian-past-shapes-its-democracy/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=An Unpromising Recovery: South Korea's Post-Korean War Economic Development: 1953-1961 |url=https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/an-unpromising-recovery-south-koreas-post-korean-war-economic-development-1953-1961/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Association for Asian Studies |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mansfield |first1=Edward D. |last2=Snyder |first2=Jack |date=1995 |title=Democratization and the Danger of War |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2539213 |journal=International Security |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=5–38 |doi=10.2307/2539213 |jstor=2539213 |issn=0162-2889}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Damon Wilson, Lynn |date=2024-05-02 |title=South Korea Can Be a Democratic Leader |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/03/18/south-korea-summit-democracy-leader-yoon-korean-wave/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Foreign Policy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cotton |first=James |date=1989 |title=From Authoritarianism to Democracy in South Korea |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9248.1989.tb01481.x |journal=Political Studies |language=en |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=244–259 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9248.1989.tb01481.x |issn=0032-3217}}</ref>

However, the mid-2000s to mid-2010s are often considered South Korea's backsliding period. Although, some have argued South Korea has hit a democratic ceiling and changes are more characteristic of democratic stagnation in lieu of regression. This took the form of more state involvement (particularly through the [[Korea Communications Commission]] or KCC) in media control and less editorial independence among journalists with conservative media owners.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Min |first=Byoung Won |date=2013 |title=Biting Back Against Civil Society: Information Technologies and Media Regulations in South Korea |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43111518 |journal=Journal of International and Area Studies |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=111–124 |jstor=43111518 |issn=1226-8550}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gong |first1=Qian |last2=Rawnsley |first2=Gary |date=2018 |title=Media freedom and responsibility in South Korea: The perceptions of journalists and politicians during the Roh Moo-hyun presidency |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1464884916688287 |journal=Journalism |language=en |volume=19 |issue=9–10 |pages=1257–1274 |doi=10.1177/1464884916688287 |issn=1464-8849|hdl=2381/38770 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Overall, political expression lagged behind comparable democracies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Haggard |first1=Stephan |last2=You |first2=Jong-Sung |date=2015-01-02 |title=Freedom of Expression in South Korea |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00472336.2014.947310 |journal=Journal of Contemporary Asia |language=en |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=167–179 |doi=10.1080/00472336.2014.947310 |issn=0047-2336}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Son |first=Byunghwan |date=2024-04-18 |title=Consequences of democratic backsliding in popular culture: evidence from blacklist in South Korea |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13510347.2024.2343103 |journal=Democratization |language=en |pages=1–25 |doi=10.1080/13510347.2024.2343103 |issn=1351-0347}}</ref> Additionally, South Korea has very strict election and campaign finance regulations, that includes no door-to-door canvassing and, consequently, some have cited these regulations as barriers to political expression and free and fair elections.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=You |first1=Jong-sung |last2=Lin |first2=Jiun-Da |date=2020 |title=Liberal Taiwan Versus Illiberal South Korea: The Divergent Paths of Election Campaign Regulation |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-east-asian-studies/article/abs/liberal-taiwan-versus-illiberal-south-korea-the-divergent-paths-of-election-campaign-regulation/6F8893B002CD6CDE50CDFEFAFFE8E680 |journal=Journal of East Asian Studies |language=en |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=437–462 |doi=10.1017/jea.2020.12 |issn=1598-2408}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mobrand |first=Erik |date=2015-12-01 |title=The Politics of Regulating Elections in South Korea: The Persistence of Restrictive Campaign Laws |url=https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/paaf/paaf/2015/00000088/00000004/art00002 |journal=Pacific Affairs |volume=88 |issue=4 |pages=791–811 |doi=10.5509/2015884791}}</ref> These changes have largely attributed to South Korea's weak political party structure that emphasizes leaders and, consequently, hyper-presidentialism. Moreover, a right-left ideological divide has been more deeply entrenched into South Korean political society.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Keeping Autocrats at Bay: Lessons from South Korea and Taiwan |url=https://www.globalasia.org/v15no1/cover/keeping-autocrats-at-bay-lessons-from-south-korea-and-taiwan_aurel-croissantjung-eun-kim |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Global Asia |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Im |first=Hyug Baeg |date=2004-01-01 |title=Faltering democratic consolidation in South Korea: democracy at the end of the 'three Kims' era |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13510340412331304642 |journal=Democratization |language=en |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=179–198 |doi=10.1080/13510340412331304642 |issn=1351-0347}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hur |first1=Aram |last2=Yeo |first2=Andrew |date=March 2024 |title=Democratic Ceilings: The Long Shadow of Nationalist Polarization in East Asia |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00104140231178724 |journal=Comparative Political Studies |language=en |volume=57 |issue=4 |pages=584–612 |doi=10.1177/00104140231178724 |issn=0010-4140}}</ref> However, South Korea is considered to have a strong civil society or ''simin sahoe'' manifested through a large number of civic organizations that prevented further backsliding via the [[2016–2017 South Korean protests|2016-2017 Candlelight Demonstrations]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kim |first=Andrew Eungi |date=2006 |title=Civic activism and Korean democracy: the impact of blacklisting campaigns in the 2000 and 2004 general elections |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09512740600984937 |journal=The Pacific Review |language=en |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=519–542 |doi=10.1080/09512740600984937 |issn=0951-2748}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Under more recent administrations such as President [[Yoon Suk Yeol]], South Korea has taken a stance as a "Global Pivotal State," which involves a greater role in East Asia as a democratic power. Despite its own democratic struggles, South Korea has taken an active role on democracy on the global stage having hosted the 2024 [[Summit for Democracy]] and committing to "strengthen coordination on promoting democracy and protecting human rights" at the [[American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact|2023 Camp David Summit]] with the U.S. and Japan, bolstering their trilateral relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=House |first=The White |date=2023-08-18 |title=The Spirit of Camp David: Joint Statement of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/18/the-spirit-of-camp-david-joint-statement-of-japan-the-republic-of-korea-and-the-united-states/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref>

==National government==
{{Main|Government of South Korea}}

===Executive branch===
{{office-table}}
|[[President of South Korea|President]]
|[[Yoon Suk Yeol]]
|[[People Power Party (South Korea)|People Power Party]]
|10 May 2022
|-
|[[Prime Minister of South Korea|Prime Minister]]
|[[Han Duck-soo]]
|Independent
|22 May 2022
|}

The head of state is the president, who is elected by direct popular vote for a single five-year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/korea-south/|title=Korea, South|work=The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=30 May 2017|archive-date=29 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129003620/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/korea-south/|url-status=live}}</ref> term. The president is Commander-in-Chief of the [[Republic of Korea Armed Forces]] and enjoys considerable executive powers.

The president appoints the prime minister with approval of the National Assembly, as well as appointing and presiding over the State Council of chief ministers as the head of government. On 12 March 2004, the executive power of then President [[Roh Moo-hyun]] was suspended when the Assembly voted to impeach him and Prime Minister [[Goh Kun]] became an Acting President. On 14 May 2004, the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment decision made by the Assembly and Roh was reinstated.

On 10 May 2022, [[Yoon Suk Yeol]] succeeded [[Moon Jae-in]] as president of South Korea.<ref>{{cite news |title=Yoon Suk-yeol sworn in as South Korea's new president |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/05/356_328834.html |work=[[The Korea Times]] |date=10 May 2022 |language=en |access-date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923202529/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/05/356_328834.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Legislative branch===
{{Main|National Assembly of South Korea}}
[[File:Seoul-National.Assembly-02.jpg|thumb|[[National Assembly of South Korea]] in [[Seoul]]]]
The National Assembly ({{Korean|hangul=국회|hanja=國會|rr=gukhoe}}) has 300 members, elected for a four-year term, 253 members in single-seat [[Electoral district|constituencies]] and 47 members by [[proportional representation]]. The ruling [[Democratic Party (South Korea, 2015)|Democratic Party of Korea]] is the largest party in the Assembly.

===Judicial branch===
{{main article|Judiciary of South Korea}}
The South Korean judiciary is independent of the other two branches of government, and is composed of two different [[Supreme court#South Korea|highest courts]]. Inferior ordinary courts are under the Supreme Court, whose justices are appointed by the president of South Korea with the consent of the National Assembly. In addition, the Constitutional Court oversees questions of constitutionality, as single and the only court whose justices are appointed by the president of South Korea by equal portion of nomination from the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court Chief justice. South Korea has not accepted compulsory [[International Court of Justice|ICJ]] jurisdiction.

==Political parties and elections==
{{elect|Political parties in South Korea|Elections in South Korea}}
South Korea elects on national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. The National Assembly (''Gukhoe'') has 300 members, elected for a four-year term, 253 members in single-seat constituencies and 47 members by proportional representation.

The main two political parties in South Korea are the liberal [[Democratic Party (South Korea, 2015)|Democratic Party of Korea]] (lit. "Together Democratic Party", DPK) and the conservative [[People Power Party (South Korea)|People Power Party]] (PPP), formerly the [[United Future Party]] (UFP). The liberal camp and the conservative camp are the dominant forces of South Korean politics at present.

{{Parties in the South Korean National Assembly}}

===Political nature===
South Korea's political history has always been prone to splits from and merges with other parties. One reason is that there is a greater emphasis around the 'politics of the individual' rather than the party; therefore, party loyalty is not strong when disagreements occur. The graph below illustrates the extent of the political volatility within the last 10 years alone. These splits were intensified after the [[2016 South Korean political scandal]].

[[File:Graph of South Korean Political Parties (2005-2018).png|thumb|This graph traces the recent origins of all six main political parties currently in the Republic of Korea, all of which have either split from or merged with other parties in the last four years. They have emerged from four main ideological camps, from Left to Right: Progressive (socialist), liberal, centrist, and conservative.]]

===Latest elections===

==== Presidential election ====
{{main|2022 South Korean presidential election}}In March 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of the conservative opposition People Power Party, won a close [[2022 South Korean presidential election|election]] over Democratic Party candidate [[Lee Jae-myung]] by the narrowest margin ever. On 10 May 2022, Yoon was sworn in as South Korea's new president.<ref>{{cite news |title=Who is South Korea's new president Yoon Suk-yeol? |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220510-who-is-south-korea-s-new-president-yoon-suk-yeol |work=France 24 |date=10 May 2022 |language=en |access-date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923202013/https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220510-who-is-south-korea-s-new-president-yoon-suk-yeol |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Legislative election===
{{main|2024 South Korean legislative election}}


1 Special City (''Teukbyeolsi''), 6 Metropolitan Cities (''Gwangyeoksi,'' singular and plural), and 9 Provinces (''Do,'' singular and plural).
* [[Seoul]] Teukbyeolsi
* [[Busan]] Gwangyeoksi
* [[Daegu]] Gwangyeoksi
* [[Incheon]] Gwangyeoksi
* [[Daejeon]] Gwangyeoksi
* [[Gwangju]] Gwangyeoksi
* [[Ulsan]] Gwangyeoksi
* [[Gyeonggi|Gyeonggi-do]]
* [[Gangwon|Gangwon-do]]
* Chungcheongbuk-do ([[North Chungcheong]])
* Chungcheongnam-do ([[South Chungcheong]])
* Jeollabuk-do ([[North Jeolla]])
* Jeollanam-do ([[South Jeolla]])
* Gyeongsangbuk-do ([[North Gyeongsang]])
* Gyeongsangnam-do ([[South Gyeongsang]])
* [[Jeju|Jeju-do]]
==Independence==
[[August 15]], [[1945]], date of liberation from Japanese colonial rule
==National holiday==
Liberation Day, August 15 (1945)
==Constitution==
[[February 25]], [[1988]]
==Legal system==
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
==Suffrage==
20 years of age; universal
==Executive branch==
* '''Chief of State''': [[President of South Korea]] [[Roh Moo-hyun]] (since 25 February 2003) (suspended from [[March 12]] to [[May 14]], [[2004]] while the Constitutional Court deliberated Roh's impeachment vote in the National Assembly.)
* '''Head of government''': [[Prime Minister of South Korea|Prime Minister]] [[Lee Hae-Chan]]
* '''Cabinet''': State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
* '''Elections''': president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in mid-December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
* '''Election results''': [[Roh Moo-hyun]] elected president; percent of vote - [[Roh Moo-hyun]] (MDP) 48.9%, [[Lee Hoi-chang]] (GNP) 46.6%, [[Kwon Young-ghil]] (DLP) 3.9%
* '''Legislative branch''': unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe(&#44397;&#54924;, &#22283;&#26371;) (273 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
* '''Elections''': last held 15 April 2004
* '''Election results''': seats by party - Uri Party 152 GNP 121, KDLP 10, MDP 9, ULD 4, Independents and others 3 (''See [[South Korean parliamentary election, 2004]]'')
==Judicial branch==
* '''Supreme Court''':
** Justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly
==Political parties and leaders==
* '''[[Uri Party]]''' (152 seats) : [[Lee Boo-young]], chairman
* '''[[Grand National Party]]''' (121 seats) or '''GNP''' : [[Park Geun-hye]], chairman
* '''[[Democratic Labour Party (South Korea)|Democratic Labor Party]]''' or '''KDLP''' (10 seats) : [[Kim Hye-kyung]], president
* '''[[Millennium Democratic Party]]''' or '''MDP''' (9 seats) : [[Han Hwa-gap]], chairman
* '''[[United Liberal Democrats]]''' or '''ULD''' (4 seats) : [[Kim Hak-won]], chairman
''Note: Subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the following parties disbanded - New Korea Party or NKP and Democratic Party or DP. On 20 January [[2000]], the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP. In September [[2003]] members of the MDP left that party to form the Uri Party. Before the [[2004 Parliamentary elections of South Korea|April 2004 election]], the GNP had 146 seats, the MDP 62 seats, the Uri Party 47 seats and the ULD 5 seats in the 273-seat Assembly. Two seats were vacant and there were 10 independents.''
==Political pressure groups and leaders==
==Political pressure groups and leaders==
* Federation of Korean Industries
* Federation of Korean Industries
Line 74: Line 113:
* National Federation of Farmers' Associations
* National Federation of Farmers' Associations
* National Federation of Student Associations
* National Federation of Student Associations

==International organization participation==
==Administrative divisions==
[[AfDB]], [[APEC]], [[AsDB]], [[Bank for International Settlements|BIS]], [[Colombo Plan|CP]], [[EBRD]], [[Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific|ESCAP]], [[FAO]], [[G-77]], [[IAEA]], [[IBRD]], [[ICAO]], [[International Criminal Court|ICC]], [[International Chamber of Commerce|ICC]], [[ICFTU]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|ICRM]], [[International Development Association|IDA]], [[International Energy Agency|IEA]] (observer), [[IFAD]], [[IFC]], [[IFRCS]], [[IHO]], [[ILO]], [[IMF]], [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]], [[Inmarsat]], [[Intelsat]], [[Interpol]], [[IOC]], [[IOM]], [[ISO]], [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]], [[MINURSO]], [[NAM]] (guest), [[Nuclear Suppliers Group|NSG]], [[OAS]] (observer), [[OECD]], [[OPCW]], [[OSCE]] (partner), [[UN]], [[UNCTAD]], [[UNESCO]], [[UNIDO]], [[UNMOGIP]], [[UNOMIG]], [[UNU]], [[UPU]], [[World Customs Organization|WCO]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[WIPO]], [[WMO]], [[WToO]], [[WTrO]], [[Zangger Committee]]
{{Main|Administrative divisions of South Korea}}
==Flag description==
{{See also|Provinces of Korea|Special cities of South Korea|Special cities of South Korea}}
The [[flag of South Korea]] is white with a red (top) and blue [[yin-yang]] symbol in the center; there is a different black [[trigram]] from the ancient ''[[I Ching]]'' (''Book of Changes'') in each corner of the white field.

[[Image:South korea flag large.png|thumbnail|250px|The [[South Korea|South Korean]] [[Flag of South Korea|flag]]]]
One Special City (''Teukbyeolsi'', Capital City), six Metropolitan Cities (''Gwangyeoksi,'' singular and plural), nine Provinces (''Do,'' singular and plural) and one Special Autonomous City (Sejong City).
* [[Seoul]] Teukbyeolsi (서울특별시)
* [[Busan]] Gwangyeoksi (부산광역시)
* [[Daegu]] Gwangyeoksi (대구광역시)
* [[Incheon]] Gwangyeoksi (인천광역시)
* [[Daejeon]] Gwangyeoksi (대전광역시)
* [[Gwangju]] Gwangyeoksi (광주광역시)
* [[Ulsan]] Gwangyeoksi (울산광역시)
* [[Gyeonggi Province|Gyeonggi-do]] (경기도)
* [[Gangwon Province, South Korea|Gangwon-do]] (강원도)
* [[North Chungcheong Province|Chungcheongbuk-do]] (충청북도)
* [[South Chungcheong Province|Chungcheongnam-do]] (충청남도)
* [[North Jeolla Province|Jeollabuk-do]] (전라북도)
* [[South Jeolla Province|Jeollanam-do]] (전라남도)
* [[North Gyeongsang Province|Gyeongsangbuk-do]] (경상북도)
* [[South Gyeongsang Province|Gyeongsangnam-do]] (경상남도)
* [[Jeju Province|Jeju Teukbyeoljachi-do]] (제주특별자치도)
* [[Sejong City|Sejong]] Teukbyeol-jachisi (세종특별자치시)

== Foreign relations ==
{{Further|Foreign relations of South Korea|Indo-Pacific Strategy of South Korea}}

South Korea is a member of the
{{columns-list|colwidth=50em|
*[[African Development Bank]]
*[[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]]
*[[Asian Development Bank]]
*[[Bank for International Settlements]]
*[[Colombo Plan]]
*[[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]]
*[[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]]
*[[Food and Agriculture Organization]]
*[[Group of 77]]
*[[International Atomic Energy Agency]]
*[[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]]
*[[International Civil Aviation Organization]]
*[[International Criminal Court]]
*[[International Chamber of Commerce]]
*[[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]]
*[[International Development Association]]
*[[International Energy Agency]] (observer)
*[[International Fund for Agricultural Development]]
*[[International Finance Corporation]]
*[[International Hydrographic Organization]]
*[[International Labour Organization]]
*[[International Monetary Fund]]
*[[International Maritime Organization]]
*[[International Mobile Satellite Organization]]
*[[Intelsat]]
*[[Interpol]]
*[[International Olympic Committee]]
*[[International Organization for Migration]]
*[[International Organization for Standardization]]
*[[International Telecommunication Union]]
*[[International Trade Union Confederation]]
*[[United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara]]
*[[Non-Aligned Movement]] (guest)
*[[Nuclear Suppliers Group]]
*[[Organization of American States]] (observer)
*[[OECD]]
*[[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]]
*[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (partner)
*[[United Nations]]
*[[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development]]
*[[UNESCO]]
*[[United Nations Industrial Development Organization]]
*[[UN mediation of the Kashmir dispute]]
*[[United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia]]
*[[United Nations University]]
*[[Universal Postal Union]]
*[[World Customs Organization]]
*[[World Health Organization]]
*[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]
*[[World Meteorological Organization]]
*[[World Tourism Organization]]
*[[World Trade Organization]]
*[[Zangger Committee]]}}

==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of Korea-related topics]]
* [[Conservatism in South Korea]]
* [[Flag of South Korea]]
* [[Liberalism in South Korea]]
* [[Progressivism in South Korea]]
==External links==
* [[List of political scandals in South Korea|Political scandals in South Korea]]
* [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ks.html World Factbook: South Korea]
* [[Law of South Korea]]
* [http://211.61.51.109/start.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.president.go.kr%2Fcwd%2Fkr%2Findex.php Cheong Wa Dae]
* [[Government of South Korea]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/korea-south/ South Korea] at ''[[The World Factbook]]''
* [https://www.president.go.kr/ Office of the President]
* [http://www.assembly.go.kr/index.jsp National Assembly]

{{Korea topics}}
{{Asia topic|Politics of}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Politics of South Korea| ]]


[[pt:Coreia do Sul#Política]]
[[Category:South Korea]]

Latest revision as of 00:44, 16 December 2024

This article is about the politics of the Republic of Korea. For other uses, see Politics of Korea (disambiguation). For the article about the politics of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, see Politics of North Korea.
Politics of the Republic of Korea

대한민국의 정치 (Korean)
National emblem of the Republic of Korea
Polity typeUnitary presidential
constitutional republic
ConstitutionConstitution of the Republic of Korea
Legislative branch
NameNational Assembly
TypeUnicameral
Meeting placeNational Assembly Building
Presiding officerWoo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly
Executive branch
Head of state and government
TitlePresident
CurrentlyYoon Suk Yeol
AppointerDirect popular vote
Cabinet
NameState Council
LeaderPresident
Deputy leaderPrime Minister
AppointerPresident
HeadquartersYongsan, Seoul
Ministries18
Judicial branch
NameJudiciary of South Korea
Supreme Court
Chief judgeCho Hee-dae
Constitutional Court
Chief judgeLee Jongseok
Separation of powers and the election system of South Korea
This article is part of a series on
Politics of South Korea
Government
Legislature
Executive
Judiciary
Elections
Political parties
Korean conflict

The politics of South Korea take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. To ensure a separation of powers, the Republic of Korea Government is made up of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The government exercises executive power and legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises a Supreme Court, appellate courts, and a Constitutional Court.

Since 1948, the constitution has undergone five major revisions, each signifying a new republic. The current Sixth Republic began with the last major constitutional revision that took effect in 1988. From its founding until the June Democratic Struggle, the South Korean political system operated under a military authoritarian regime, with the freedom of assembly, association, expression, press and religion as well as civil society activism being tightly restricted. During that period, there were no freely elected national leaders, political opposition is suppressed, dissent was not permitted and civil rights were curtailed.

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated South Korea a "full democracy" in 2022.[1][needs update] According to the V-Dem Democracy indices in 2023, South Korea was the third most electoral democratic country in Asia.[2] South Korea is often cited as a model of democracy due to its relatively peaceful and internally-driven democratic transition.[3][4][5][6][7]

However, the mid-2000s to mid-2010s are often considered South Korea's backsliding period. Although, some have argued South Korea has hit a democratic ceiling and changes are more characteristic of democratic stagnation in lieu of regression. This took the form of more state involvement (particularly through the Korea Communications Commission or KCC) in media control and less editorial independence among journalists with conservative media owners.[8][9] Overall, political expression lagged behind comparable democracies.[10][11] Additionally, South Korea has very strict election and campaign finance regulations, that includes no door-to-door canvassing and, consequently, some have cited these regulations as barriers to political expression and free and fair elections.[12][13] These changes have largely attributed to South Korea's weak political party structure that emphasizes leaders and, consequently, hyper-presidentialism. Moreover, a right-left ideological divide has been more deeply entrenched into South Korean political society.[14][15][16] However, South Korea is considered to have a strong civil society or simin sahoe manifested through a large number of civic organizations that prevented further backsliding via the 2016-2017 Candlelight Demonstrations.[17][14]

Under more recent administrations such as President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea has taken a stance as a "Global Pivotal State," which involves a greater role in East Asia as a democratic power. Despite its own democratic struggles, South Korea has taken an active role on democracy on the global stage having hosted the 2024 Summit for Democracy and committing to "strengthen coordination on promoting democracy and protecting human rights" at the 2023 Camp David Summit with the U.S. and Japan, bolstering their trilateral relationship.[18]

National government

[edit]
Main article: Government of South Korea

Executive branch

[edit]
Main office-holders
Office Name Party Since
President Yoon Suk Yeol People Power Party 10 May 2022
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Independent 22 May 2022

The head of state is the president, who is elected by direct popular vote for a single five-year[19] term. The president is Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and enjoys considerable executive powers.

The president appoints the prime minister with approval of the National Assembly, as well as appointing and presiding over the State Council of chief ministers as the head of government. On 12 March 2004, the executive power of then President Roh Moo-hyun was suspended when the Assembly voted to impeach him and Prime Minister Goh Kun became an Acting President. On 14 May 2004, the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment decision made by the Assembly and Roh was reinstated.

On 10 May 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol succeeded Moon Jae-in as president of South Korea.[20]

Legislative branch

[edit]
Main article: National Assembly of South Korea
National Assembly of South Korea in Seoul

The National Assembly (Korean: 국회; Hanja: 國會; RR: gukhoe) has 300 members, elected for a four-year term, 253 members in single-seat constituencies and 47 members by proportional representation. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is the largest party in the Assembly.

Judicial branch

[edit]
Main article: Judiciary of South Korea

The South Korean judiciary is independent of the other two branches of government, and is composed of two different highest courts. Inferior ordinary courts are under the Supreme Court, whose justices are appointed by the president of South Korea with the consent of the National Assembly. In addition, the Constitutional Court oversees questions of constitutionality, as single and the only court whose justices are appointed by the president of South Korea by equal portion of nomination from the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court Chief justice. South Korea has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

Political parties and elections

[edit]
For other political parties, see Political parties in South Korea. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in South Korea.

South Korea elects on national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. The National Assembly (Gukhoe) has 300 members, elected for a four-year term, 253 members in single-seat constituencies and 47 members by proportional representation.

The main two political parties in South Korea are the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (lit. "Together Democratic Party", DPK) and the conservative People Power Party (PPP), formerly the United Future Party (UFP). The liberal camp and the conservative camp are the dominant forces of South Korean politics at present.

Parties in the 22nd National Assembly
Group Floor leader Seats % of seats
▌Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung 176[a] 58.66%
▌People Power Yoon Jae-ok 108[b] 36.00%
▌Green-Justice Sim Sang-jung 6 1.8%
▌New Future Kim Jong-min 5 1.5%
▌New Reform Yang Hyang-ja 4 1.2%
▌Progressive Kang Sung-hee 1 0.3%
▌Rebuilding Korea Party Hwang Un-ha 1 0.3%
▌Liberal Unification Party Hwangbo Seung-hee 1 0.3%
▌Independents 9 3.0%
▌Vacant 3 0.9%
Total 300 100.0%

Notes:

  1. Negotiation groups can be formed by 20 or more members.
  1. ^ Including 14 seats held by the Democratic Alliance of Korea
  2. ^ Including 13 seats held by the People's Future Party


Political nature

[edit]

South Korea's political history has always been prone to splits from and merges with other parties. One reason is that there is a greater emphasis around the 'politics of the individual' rather than the party; therefore, party loyalty is not strong when disagreements occur. The graph below illustrates the extent of the political volatility within the last 10 years alone. These splits were intensified after the 2016 South Korean political scandal.

This graph traces the recent origins of all six main political parties currently in the Republic of Korea, all of which have either split from or merged with other parties in the last four years. They have emerged from four main ideological camps, from Left to Right: Progressive (socialist), liberal, centrist, and conservative.

Latest elections

[edit]

Presidential election

[edit]
Main article: 2022 South Korean presidential election

In March 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of the conservative opposition People Power Party, won a close election over Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung by the narrowest margin ever. On 10 May 2022, Yoon was sworn in as South Korea's new president.[21]

Legislative election

[edit]
Main article: 2024 South Korean legislative election

Political pressure groups and leaders

[edit]
  • Federation of Korean Industries
  • Federation of Korean Trade Unions
  • Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
  • Korean National Council of Churches
  • Korean Traders Association
  • Korean Veterans' Association
  • National Council of Labor Unions
  • National Democratic Alliance of Korea
  • National Federation of Farmers' Associations
  • National Federation of Student Associations

Administrative divisions

[edit]
Main article: Administrative divisions of South Korea
See also: Provinces of Korea, Special cities of South Korea, and Special cities of South Korea

One Special City (Teukbyeolsi, Capital City), six Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi, singular and plural), nine Provinces (Do, singular and plural) and one Special Autonomous City (Sejong City).

Foreign relations

[edit]
Further information: Foreign relations of South Korea and Indo-Pacific Strategy of South Korea

South Korea is a member of the

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Democracy Index 2023: Age of Conflict (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit (Report). 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  2. ^ V-Dem Institute (2023). "The V-Dem Dataset". Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  3. ^ "How South Korea's Authoritarian Past Shapes Its Democracy". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  4. ^ "An Unpromising Recovery: South Korea's Post-Korean War Economic Development: 1953-1961". Association for Asian Studies. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  5. ^ Mansfield, Edward D.; Snyder, Jack (1995). "Democratization and the Danger of War". International Security. 20 (1): 5–38. doi:10.2307/2539213. ISSN 0162-2889. JSTOR 2539213.
  6. ^ Lee, Damon Wilson, Lynn (2024-05-02). "South Korea Can Be a Democratic Leader". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2024-05-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Cotton, James (1989). "From Authoritarianism to Democracy in South Korea". Political Studies. 37 (2): 244–259. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.1989.tb01481.x. ISSN 0032-3217.
  8. ^ Min, Byoung Won (2013). "Biting Back Against Civil Society: Information Technologies and Media Regulations in South Korea". Journal of International and Area Studies. 20 (1): 111–124. ISSN 1226-8550. JSTOR 43111518.
  9. ^ Gong, Qian; Rawnsley, Gary (2018). "Media freedom and responsibility in South Korea: The perceptions of journalists and politicians during the Roh Moo-hyun presidency". Journalism. 19 (9–10): 1257–1274. doi:10.1177/1464884916688287. hdl:2381/38770. ISSN 1464-8849.
  10. ^ Haggard, Stephan; You, Jong-Sung (2015-01-02). "Freedom of Expression in South Korea". Journal of Contemporary Asia. 45 (1): 167–179. doi:10.1080/00472336.2014.947310. ISSN 0047-2336.
  11. ^ Son, Byunghwan (2024-04-18). "Consequences of democratic backsliding in popular culture: evidence from blacklist in South Korea". Democratization: 1–25. doi:10.1080/13510347.2024.2343103. ISSN 1351-0347.
  12. ^ You, Jong-sung; Lin, Jiun-Da (2020). "Liberal Taiwan Versus Illiberal South Korea: The Divergent Paths of Election Campaign Regulation". Journal of East Asian Studies. 20 (3): 437–462. doi:10.1017/jea.2020.12. ISSN 1598-2408.
  13. ^ Mobrand, Erik (2015-12-01). "The Politics of Regulating Elections in South Korea: The Persistence of Restrictive Campaign Laws". Pacific Affairs. 88 (4): 791–811. doi:10.5509/2015884791.
  14. ^ a b "Keeping Autocrats at Bay: Lessons from South Korea and Taiwan". Global Asia. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  15. ^ Im, Hyug Baeg (2004-01-01). "Faltering democratic consolidation in South Korea: democracy at the end of the 'three Kims' era". Democratization. 11 (5): 179–198. doi:10.1080/13510340412331304642. ISSN 1351-0347.
  16. ^ Hur, Aram; Yeo, Andrew (March 2024). "Democratic Ceilings: The Long Shadow of Nationalist Polarization in East Asia". Comparative Political Studies. 57 (4): 584–612. doi:10.1177/00104140231178724. ISSN 0010-4140.
  17. ^ Kim, Andrew Eungi (2006). "Civic activism and Korean democracy: the impact of blacklisting campaigns in the 2000 and 2004 general elections". The Pacific Review. 19 (4): 519–542. doi:10.1080/09512740600984937. ISSN 0951-2748.
  18. ^ House, The White (2023-08-18). "The Spirit of Camp David: Joint Statement of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States". The White House. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  19. ^ "Korea, South". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  20. ^ "Yoon Suk-yeol sworn in as South Korea's new president". The Korea Times. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Who is South Korea's new president Yoon Suk-yeol?". France 24. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
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